character and fitness question

[murray18]

Hey guys,

so a couple of schools i'm applying to ask for all minor traffic infractions, speeding tickets etc...

i've got 3 tickets on file (one for running a stop sign, two speeding tickets), so obviously i'll have to disclose this stuff, but what info do i need to provide? is there some paperwork i need to get copies of or should i just give them the date, crime, and something along the lines of "fine paid?"

i know its not a big deal, but i dont want any delays because i didnt give them the right information.

thanks folks

[PinkCow]

Hey guys,

so a couple of schools i'm applying to ask for all minor traffic infractions, speeding tickets etc...

i've got 3 tickets on file (one for running a stop sign, two speeding tickets), so obviously i'll have to disclose this stuff, but what info do i need to provide? is there some paperwork i need to get copies of or should i just give them the date, crime, and something along the lines of "fine paid?"

i know its not a big deal, but i dont want any delays because i didnt give them the right information.

thanks folks

No. Just write a sentence or 2 for each: Here's what I did and I'm sorry.

[murray18]

awesome. one more question.

i've gone through a bunch of apps, and some ask for EVERYTHING you've ever done, while some seem to want certain traffic violations, while some dont care about traffic violations at all. i've heard this stuff is mainly used for the bar, and i assume thats pretty constant regardless of where you go to school.... am i missing something, or is my list of tickets going to be different for every school i apply to?

[PinkCow]

C&F stacks up against your application. If it says disclose and you don't, that's bad. If it is silent, then either way is fine. Might as well just include the form explanation for every app. No one will care about those minor tickets.

[theadvancededit]

You're safer disclosing them; listing them on an addendum is not nearly as bad as having to go through C&F headaches over parking tickets.

As for how to do them, just list them factually, as they had happened, and conclude with a sentence saying something like "I have learned from my mistakes and I am confident that there will be no further issues moving forward."

I've written more detailed thoughts on this here:

http://theadvancededit.com/2011/08/15/h ... -addendum/

[kneedrag]

what if one hasn't gotten a ticket in 10+ years?

*knock on wood*

[bp shinners]

what if one hasn't gotten a ticket in 10+ years?

*knock on wood*

Still disclose the ones you received 10+ years ago. The length of time between then and now, however, will make them completely a non-issue (even moreso than they normally are).

[scottybared]

I'm glad I came across this post. I was thinking that I didn't need to disclose my speeding ticket, but now I'm thinking that maybe I do. What exactly is a minor traffic violation? It seems that 80% of the schools I'm applying to say that I don't need to disclose those. My driving record isn't great (1 speeding ticket, two failures to yield, and one reckless driving for being on a cell phone during one of the failures to yield). I'm guessing that I need to disclose all of those? What about schools like UCLA, which says, "You need not report traffic violations unless conviction for the violation(s) would constitute a misdemeanor or a felony. None of those constitute a misdemeanor in my state.

[murray18]

I think I'm just going to follow the directions on the applications. Some explicitly say "disclose all traffic violations, no matter how minor," while some say "exclude minor traffic violations and parking citations." A few even make the distinction that you don't have to include traffic citations if they didn't result in an arrest or a fine over $200.

If they ask for it, give it. If they don't ask for it, or better yet ask you not to include it, don't. I don't see how the bar could have a problem with that.

[caminante]

What if you got a speeding ticket that was overturned in court (not guilty)? Or a speeding ticket from a camera? I assume I do not have to disclose these.

[kneedrag]

what if one hasn't gotten a ticket in 10+ years?

*knock on wood*

Still disclose the ones you received 10+ years ago. The length of time between then and now, however, will make them completely a non-issue (even moreso than they normally are).

Jeeze, I honestly don't remember them.

I think I got one or two in college, and a BS rolled a stop sign ticket in 2005, but that's it.

They were actually all out of state too.